Radio 3 listeners have been downloading live performances of Beethoven's first five symphonies in their thousands. The music was performed as part of The Beethoven Experience on Radio 3 and downloads were available for a week long trial.
Nearly 700 thousand listeners downloaded the music with the first symphony proving the most popular.
Roger Wright, Radio 3 controller said: "We hope it will encourage audiences to explore online classical music".
The symphonies were performed by the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester and conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.
The free downloads were available between June 5-10 when the classical music station played the complete works of the composer in one week.
The remaining symphonies - six to nine - will be available to download for seven days after they are broadcast later this month.